Casing-head packer



March 3, w31. E. J. ZERR 1,794,662

CASING HEAD PACKER Filed oct. 9, 1928 be advantageously employe sure rising through Patented Mar. 3, 1931 ELIJ'AH'J'. ZEER, QF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA CASING-HEAD PACKEB Application led October 9, 1928. Serial No. 311,269.

My invention relates to a packing head for the casings of oil wells, and has for its principal object the provision of a relatively simple, practical and eflicient ap liance that may d on the upper end of an oil well casing for packing the joint or opening between the casing and the drill tube so as to elfectively eliminate any possibility of a blow-out resulting from iiuid presthe casing.

A further object of my invention is to provide a blow-out 'preventer utilizing slips or segments that 4seal the joint between the casing and drill tube and which slips or segments are arranged so that' they are subject to the iuid pressure that rises through the casing and thus the slips or packing members are forced into joint sealing positions by the fluid pressure that is endeavoring to escape from the well casing.

Further objects ofmy invention are to generally improve upon "and simplify the construction of the existing forms of casing head packers, and to provide a device of the character referred to that is inexpensive ofl manufacture, and which is capable of being readily manipulated when assembled or taken apart.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts that will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an elevational View of the upper portions of a well casing with which my improved packing head is associated, the latter being shown in vertical section.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the outer series of slips or segments that form a part of the improved packing head.

Fig. 4 is a view looking against the underside of the packing head.

Referring by numerals to theaccompanying drawings which illustrate a practical embodiment of my invention, 10 designates the upper portion of the oil well casing, and secured to the upper end thereof in any suit- -bular ducts 12 through which gas an able manner is a bowl 11 from the lower portion of which leads outwardly extendin tuoil may be taken olf.

Concentrically arranged within the casing 10 is the drill tube 13.

The packing head contemplated by my invention comprises a series, preferably three 1n number, of outer segments or slips 14, which when assembled provide a substantially cylindrical member that fits within the bowl 11 and in order that these slips may engage the inner surface of the bowl when upward and outward pressure is applied to said slips, the outer faces of the sections or segments 14 are provided with horizontally disposed ribs or corrugations 15 having relatively sharp or abrupt upper edges.

The slips or segments 14 adually decrease in thickness toward thelr lower ends and thus when the slips or segments are assembled within the bowl the chamber or space within said slips or segments is in the form of a truncated cone.

The vertical edges of the slips or segments 14 are rabbeted so as to provide overlapping portions 16 and in order to seal the lower ends of the. joints between these overlappin side edges arcuate plates 17, preferably o thin metal, are secured to the under faces of the slips in such manner as to overlie and practically close the lower ends of the joints.

As illustrated in Fig. 4, two of these joint i closing plates 17 are secured to the underside of one of the slips 14, while the third underlying plate is secured to a second one of the slips so that the third slip does not carry a joint closing plate. This arrangement is necessary in order that the slips may be properly assembled while being placed within the bowl or to be taken apart when removed from the bowl.

The upper ends of the outer series of slips 14 are provided with suitable handles 18, preferably flexible, by means of which said sli s may be lifted and manipulated while Eelng positioned within or removed from the owl.

The inner slips 19, which engage the drill tube, are constructed of such size and shape,

jolnt so that when any of the slips are assembled.Y

conical memthey provide a substantiall ber that occu ies the cham er between the outer series o slips and the external face of the drill tube 13.

These slips 19 gradually taper in thickness toward their upper ends, and as a result when two of the slips are assembled they form a truncated cone that fits within the chamber formed by the outer series of slips 14.

The vertical side edges vof the inner slips 19 are rabbeted in order to produce overlapping side portions 20 and to close the joints between these overlapping side edges plates 21 are secured to the unde side ofone of the inner slips, and which plates project beneath the adj acent side edges 0f the other slips (see Fi 4.

'he upper ends of the inner slips 19 are provided withsuitable handles 22, preferably flexible, in order that said slips may be lifted and manipulated while being positoned within or removed from the bowl. Forme on the inner faces of the slips or those faces that are positioned immediately adjacent to the outer face of the drill tube 13 are horizontally disposed grooves or channels that are occupied by packing rings 23 of suitable -material, such as leather, fiber or composition.

When my improved casin head packer is positioned for use a pair o the inner slips 19 are positioned about the drill tube within the bowl 11 with the lower ends of said inner slips resting on the bottom of the bowl, and after said inner slips are thus positioned a series of the outer slips are positioned in the bowl so as to surround said inner slips, and said outer slips are driven downwardly under the blows of a hammer or like tool, thereby exerting wedgingaction which moves the inner slips carrying the packing rings into closin engagement with the surface of the drill tu e.

The sharp edges of the upper ends of the ribs or corrugations 15 of the outer slips will engage and bite into the innervsurface of the bowl 11, thereby very firmly anchoring the outer slips to said bowl and the pressure ofv the gas or oil rising through the casino' will be exerted against the under faces of t e inner slips 19 to forcibly move the same upward-v ly, with the result that said inner sli s exert wedging action against the outer slips and conse uently produce a fluid pressure tight etween the packing rings ofthe inner faces of the inner slips and the drill tube, and thereby accomplishing the desired results.

Thus it will be seen that in my improved casing head packer the relatively high pres are utilized for automatically effecting a iluid sures of gas and oil that rise withinthe casing pressure tight joint between the packer and the drill tube.

with .the outlet pipes /12 the Agas or iiuid pressure from the well may be controlled and delivered to containers to which the pipes 12 are connected.

In some instances .it may be found desirable. to construct the outer slips in the form of Va one-piece ring having a tapered inner face that cooperates with the correspondingly tapered outer faces of the inner slips, and Where such construction 1s employed the sectional inner slips "will be forced upwardly with wedging action within the one-piece outer slip in practically the same manner as herein described.

While I have shown and described my im= proved Casin head packer as being utilized for. packing t e joint between the casing head and a rotary drill tube, it will be understood that practically the same construction may be employed with equal advantage on a drill rig or a rig utilizing a reciprocating cable that carries the drill, and where the packer is d, applied to a rig having a drill cable a sleeve is applied to the cable and which sleeve is engaged by the packin rings on the inner faces of the inner slips. 'l us the standard rig may be effectually acked and at the same time the cable may e slowly reciprocated so as to prevent freezing of the drill at the bottom of the well hole.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a casing headpacker that lis relatively simple in construction;inexpensive of manufacture, capable of being easily and quickly positioned in the bowl at the top of the well casin and which packer is effective in producing t e desired fluid pressure tight joint between the head of the casing and the drill tube as a result of the pressure of the gas or oil that rises through the casing.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved casing head packer may be made and substituted for those herein gradually tapers in thickness toward itsvup-r per end and sectional packing ringsA seated 1n the inner face of said member.

' 2. In a'casing headpacker, a bowl adapted to be secured to the upper end of the casing, l

a plurality of wedge-shaped slips arranged within said bowl and adapted to encircle the drill carrying member that passes through said bowl and casing, sectional packing rings l seated in the inner faces of said slips, and a Through the operatlon of valves associatedl plurality of wedge-shapedslips' arranged in a ring removthe space between the wall of the bowl and the first mentioned slips.

3. In a casing head packer, abowl adapted tobe secured to the upper end of a casing, a plurality of slips positioned within said bowl and adapted ito encircle the drill carrying member that'passes through said bowl and casing, packing rings seated in the inner faces of said slips, the side edges of which slips are provided with overlapping portions, an outer series of wedge-shaped slips positioned within the bowl and encircling the first mentioned slips, the side edges of which outer series of slips are provided with overlapping portions and joint closing plates on the under faces of the two sets o f slips.

4. In a casing head packer, a bowl adapted to be secured to the upper end of a casing, a plurality of slips positioned within said bowl and adapted to encircle the drill carrying member that passes through said bowl and casing, packing rings seated in the vinner faces of said slips, the sideed es of which slips are provided with overlap 'ng portions, an outer series of wedge shaped slips positioned within the bowl and encircling the 'lirst mentioned slips, the side vedges of which outer series of slips are provided with overlapping portions, and means on the under faces of said slips for closing the lower ends of the joints between said overlapping portions.

.5. In a casing head packer, the combination with a bowl, the casing to which said bowl is connected and the drill carrying member that passes through said casing and bowl, of two sets of wedge-shaped slips arran ed within the bowl, one set of slips encirc ing the other, the members of one set of slips being oppositel disposed relative to the members of the ot er setv of slips for producing wedging action between the bowl and the drill carrying member upon the longitudinal movement of either set of slips and spaced packing rings seated in the inner faces of the inner set of slips.

6. In a casing head packer, the combination with a bowl, the casing to which said bowl .is connected and the drill carryin member that passes through said casing angl bowl, of a plurality of packing slips arranged within the bowl and surrounding the drill carrying member, spaced packin rings seated in the inner .faces of said sllps, and wedge-shaped members adapted to be posi- 'gemid between said slips and the wall of the 7. In a, casing head packer, the combination with a bowl, the casing to which said bowl is connected and the .drill carrying member that passes through said casing and bowl, of a plurality of packing slips arranged Within the bowl and surrounding the drill carrying member, spaced packing rings seated in the inner faces of said slips, wedge-shaped 

